# Cutters and Couriers
*Crown Meridian Ship Catalog, Armored Hulls of the Irnan Directorate for Void Drifters. Source: https://exodusnds.com/sourcebooks/crown-meridian/cutters-and-couriers*
The cutter is the hull most people mean when they say Crown Meridian. The courier is its quieter cousin: the same federal armor wrapped around a hold the size of a closet.
##### The CM-440 Line
*Armored Brick-Keel hull in three generations, CM-440 to CM-440B.*
The CM-440 is Crown's armored cutter and its best-known ship. Patrol services, bounty crews, customs contractors and corporate security forces fly it, and so do armed couriers. Its silhouette is a dense wedge with a broad armored prow, a recessed bridge and two protected engine channels.
**Generation notes.** **CM-440A (Classic).** Crown's customers asked for an open slot, and the A has one more Module Slot, one more Power Capacity and two more Hull Points. It keeps the full Reinforced Compartments. Captains who ram, or expect to be rammed, keep the A. **CM-440B.** One more Hardpoint point and one more System Point, paid for by thinning the keel bulkheads. It is the better gun platform and the worse ship to hit a rock in.
**Common Variants.** Customs cutter, Bounty vessel, Armed courier, Corporate security ship, Marshal transport, Convoy escort.
### CM-440
Armored Cutter
Crown Meridian Shipworks · CM-440 familyScale 4
| Role | Price | Acquisition |
|:--|:--|:--|
| Customs cutter, bounty vessel, convoy escort | 420,000cr | Licensed |
| Speed | Cruise | Handling | Sensors |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 4 | 3 | +0 | Standard |
| Armor | Deflection F/A | Hull Points | System Points |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 3 | 0 / 0 | 22 | 14 |
| Power | Heat Threshold | Heat Dissipation | Module Slots (open) |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 9 | 11 | 2 | 4 (1) |
| Crew | Passengers | Cargo Units | Consumables |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 3 / 6 | 8 | 20 | 2 months |
Typical Loadout
| Weapon | Range | Hull | Sys | Crit | Heat | Pwr |
|:--|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| Railgun Battery
Standard · Forward · Pierce 1, Recoil, Limited Ammo 16 | Medium–Long | 5 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Light Rotary Cannon ×2
Light · Turret · Auto-Fire, Point Defense 1, Recoil (minor), Limited Ammo 40 | Short–Medium | 3 | — | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Point-Defense Laser
Light · Turret · Point Defense 1, Accurate 1, Cooldown | Short | 2 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 |
**Rated** Slipstream · Atmosphere (limited) · Landing
**AI Core** Professional Directive AI
**Mounts** 3 Light · 1 Standard · 5 points
**Modules** Internal Security Suite, Armory, Barracks Module · 1 open
**Builder** Crown Meridian signature benefits and weak drawbacks; Integrated Architecture (Chapter 4). Armor counts as 4 against collisions, rams, and Critical Hits.
**Trait** ***Reinforced Compartments:*** Once per encounter, when the CM-440 would suffer System Damage from a Critical Hit, collision, or cascade failure, reduce that System Damage by 1.
### CM-440A
Armored Cutter
Crown Meridian Shipworks · CM-440 family · ClassicScale 4
| Role | Price | Acquisition |
|:--|:--|:--|
| Customs cutter, bounty vessel, convoy escort | 449,000cr | Licensed |
| Speed | Cruise | Handling | Sensors |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 4 | 3 | +0 | Standard |
| Armor | Deflection F/A | Hull Points | System Points |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 3 | 0 / 0 | 24 | 14 |
| Power | Heat Threshold | Heat Dissipation | Module Slots (open) |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 10 | 11 | 2 | 5 (2) |
| Crew | Passengers | Cargo Units | Consumables |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 3 / 6 | 8 | 20 | 2 months |
Typical Loadout
| Weapon | Range | Hull | Sys | Crit | Heat | Pwr |
|:--|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| Railgun Battery
Standard · Forward · Pierce 1, Recoil, Limited Ammo 16 | Medium–Long | 5 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Light Rotary Cannon ×2
Light · Turret · Auto-Fire, Point Defense 1, Recoil (minor), Limited Ammo 40 | Short–Medium | 3 | — | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Point-Defense Laser
Light · Turret · Point Defense 1, Accurate 1, Cooldown | Short | 2 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 |
**Rated** Slipstream · Atmosphere (limited) · Landing
**AI Core** Professional Directive AI
**Mounts** 3 Light · 1 Standard · 5 points
**Modules** Internal Security Suite, Armory, Barracks Module · 2 open
**Builder** Crown Meridian signature benefits and weak drawbacks; Integrated Architecture (Chapter 4). Armor counts as 4 against collisions, rams, and Critical Hits.
**Trait** ***Reinforced Compartments:*** Once per encounter, when the CM-440A would suffer System Damage from a Critical Hit, collision, or cascade failure, reduce that System Damage by 1.
### CM-440B
Armored Cutter
Crown Meridian Shipworks · CM-440 familyScale 4
| Role | Price | Acquisition |
|:--|:--|:--|
| Customs cutter, bounty vessel, convoy escort | 468,000cr | Licensed |
| Speed | Cruise | Handling | Sensors |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 4 | 3 | +0 | Standard |
| Armor | Deflection F/A | Hull Points | System Points |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 3 | 0 / 0 | 24 | 15 |
| Power | Heat Threshold | Heat Dissipation | Module Slots (open) |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 10 | 11 | 2 | 5 (2) |
| Crew | Passengers | Cargo Units | Consumables |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 3 / 6 | 8 | 20 | 2 months |
Typical Loadout
| Weapon | Range | Hull | Sys | Crit | Heat | Pwr |
|:--|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| Railgun Battery
Standard · Forward · Pierce 1, Recoil, Limited Ammo 16 | Medium–Long | 5 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Light Rotary Cannon ×2
Light · Turret · Auto-Fire, Point Defense 1, Recoil (minor), Limited Ammo 40 | Short–Medium | 3 | — | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Point-Defense Laser
Light · Turret · Point Defense 1, Accurate 1, Cooldown | Short | 2 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 |
**Rated** Slipstream · Atmosphere (limited) · Landing
**AI Core** Professional Directive AI
**Mounts** 4 Light · 1 Standard · 6 points · 1 Light empty
**Modules** Internal Security Suite, Armory, Barracks Module · 2 open
**Builder** Crown Meridian signature benefits and weak drawbacks; Integrated Architecture (Chapter 4). Armor counts as 4 against collisions, rams, and Critical Hits.
**Trait** ***Thinned Compartments:*** Once per encounter, when the CM-440B would suffer System Damage from a Critical Hit, reduce that System Damage by 1. Collisions and cascade failures are not covered.
The CM-380 is a vault courier. It carries sealed consignments (evidence, valuables, registry stacks, bank paper) at a courier's speed, with almost no cargo and a great deal of security.
**Generation notes.** **CM-380A.** Flat radiator fins fold down along the spine. The extra Heat Dissipation lets the courier run its sensors and engines together on a long dash.
**Common Variants.** Bank courier, Evidence transport, Diplomatic pouch ship, Registry courier.
### CM-380
Vault Courier
Crown Meridian Shipworks · CM-380 familyScale 4
| Role | Price | Acquisition |
|:--|:--|:--|
| Bank courier, evidence transport | 455,000cr | Licensed |
| Speed | Cruise | Handling | Sensors |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 4 | 3 | +1 | Standard |
| Armor | Deflection F/A | Hull Points | System Points |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 3 | 0 / 0 | 20 | 16 |
| Power | Heat Threshold | Heat Dissipation | Module Slots (open) |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 9 | 10 | 2 | 5 (1) |
| Crew | Passengers | Cargo Units | Consumables |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 2 / 3 | 4 | 20 | 2 months |
Typical Loadout
| Weapon | Range | Hull | Sys | Crit | Heat | Pwr |
|:--|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| Point-Defense Laser ×2
Light · Turret · Point Defense 1, Accurate 1, Cooldown | Short | 2 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 |
**Rated** Slipstream · Atmosphere (limited) · Landing
**AI Core** Professional Directive AI
**Mounts** 2 Light · 2 points
**Modules** Secure Cargo Vault, Internal Security Suite, Counterboarding Suite, Evidence Locker · 1 open
**Builder** Crown Meridian signature benefits and weak drawbacks; Integrated Architecture (Chapter 4). Armor counts as 4 against collisions, rams, and Critical Hits.
**Trait** ***Vault Core:*** The Secure Cargo Vault sits in the keel. Checks to scan it, open it, or cut into it add 2 Bane Dice
. Its contents survive System Damage to the ship and are exposed only when the ship's Hull Damage reaches half its Hull Points.
### CM-380A
Vault Courier
Crown Meridian Shipworks · CM-380 familyScale 4
| Role | Price | Acquisition |
|:--|:--|:--|
| Bank courier, evidence transport | 488,000cr | Licensed |
| Speed | Cruise | Handling | Sensors |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 4 | 3 | +1 | Standard |
| Armor | Deflection F/A | Hull Points | System Points |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 3 | 0 / 0 | 20 | 16 |
| Power | Heat Threshold | Heat Dissipation | Module Slots (open) |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 10 | 11 | 3 | 5 (1) |
| Crew | Passengers | Cargo Units | Consumables |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| 2 / 3 | 4 | 20 | 2 months |
Typical Loadout
| Weapon | Range | Hull | Sys | Crit | Heat | Pwr |
|:--|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| Point-Defense Laser ×2
Light · Turret · Point Defense 1, Accurate 1, Cooldown | Short | 2 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 |
**Rated** Slipstream · Atmosphere (limited) · Landing
**AI Core** Professional Directive AI
**Mounts** 2 Light · 2 points
**Modules** Secure Cargo Vault, Internal Security Suite, Counterboarding Suite, Evidence Locker · 1 open
**Builder** Crown Meridian signature benefits and weak drawbacks; Integrated Architecture (Chapter 4). Armor counts as 4 against collisions, rams, and Critical Hits.
**Trait** ***Vault Core:*** The Secure Cargo Vault sits in the keel. Checks to scan it, open it, or cut into it add 2 Bane Dice
. Its contents survive System Damage to the ship and are exposed only when the ship's Hull Damage reaches half its Hull Points.
##### At the Table: Running a Customs Inspection
A Crown hull is easy to inspect, and the inspection is part of what Crown sells. Use this procedure when a crew docks a Crown ship, or meets one, at a port that checks papers.
**Registry.** The Registry Transponder reports a clean, documented history. The crew removes 1 Bane Die from checks to pass the first stage of an inspection.
**Search.** An officer with an Inspection Block adds 1 Boon Die to checks to search the ship, its cargo or its passengers. The inspection blocks along the hull let the officer open a compartment without cutting.
**What the search finds.** A hidden compartment or an uncertified military module is found on a Success. A find is evidence, not a delay: the crew faces Authority Heat as well as a fine.
**What the crew can do.** Cooperate and keep the ship's good record. Argue the paperwork, which is an opposed check against the officer. Or avoid the port. A crew that wants to avoid the inspection altogether should not fly a Crown ship.
